Liveblog: Nintendo’s U.S. Press Conference

SAN FRANCISCO — Nintendo is holding a U.S. media conference here today, following the company’s info blowout in Tokyo that saw the unveiling of the Nintendo DSi.

9:09: VP Denise Kaigler is on stage telling us how to access the Wi-Fi in the room. Got it. We can liveblog the presenation, she says, but game impressions are embargoed until Monday.

9:10: Kaigler says there will be some "interesting photo ops" today during the presentation. Hmm… DSi live and in person?

More liveblogging below.

9:11: I’m sure a couple of you have read the news from Tokyo last night, Kaigler says. Yes. She introduces Reggie Fils-Aime to talk to us about that.

9:12: While today’s show is mostly about games, Fils-Aime says, Nintendo unveiled the DSi last night. He holds one up. He’s talking about the new features: It has built-in flash memory, and you can save downloadable games to that flash drive. A new service called Nintendo DSi Shop. Among the first games available on the Nintendo DSi Shop service will be redesigned versions of the two Brain Age games. Users will be able to experience these games anywhere, anytime, moments a day, every day. Will sit alongside all the features on the DSi menu, no cartridges necessary.

9:14: There are plenty of other competitors in a "red ocean" trying to make the best portable cameras and music players. Nintendo is just trying to make the DS the most fun for the most people possible.

9:15: The Nintendo DSi has not one but two different cameras. How you use these two cameras creates the difference. One will face forward from the hardware, the other points back at the user. A different range of photo functionality. Combined with onboard, real-time imaging software. Combine pictures. Distort faces. Graffiti.

9:16: The DSi can also serve as your music player — but again, with differences. The DSi will use the AAC format, so you can move songs from computer to SD card. The DSi has built in software that allows the user to control pitch, speed of AAC files. You can put in an audio filter — "You may have a piece of music where you want to listen to only the vocals, not the instrumentals." You can fast-forward through a podcast. Play different features sped up or slowed down. Record your voice in the microphone and change the playback speed/pitch of that. All of these options are available on DSi right out of the box.

9:18: Wanted to manage the weight and durability of the system while making it smaller. Hence, no Game Boy Advance game slot. (Still kind of sad.) This new addition to the DS family, says Fils-Aime, should be looked at as retaining great features and adding new functionality to make it a whole lot better.

9:19: As far as 2008 is concerned, the DSi story is strictly Japan-related. We will not see the product in North America until "well into" 2009, because there’s still "huge demand"

9:20: Reggie says that the DS sold more hardware in August than had ever been sold in that calendar month. You’re welcome, Reggie!

9:21: Instead of dealing with the current hassles of Wii storage, you’ll be able to download Wii software from the shopping channel to your SD card, and the process of transferring that software will become "dramatically easier."

9:22: Talking about holiday retail qualities for DS and Wii. "More Nintendo DS units into retail for Oct/Nov/Dec quarter than last year — dramatically more." Also more Wii systems.

9:23: Will this be enough to meet demand? "Talk to me in January," Fils-Aime says. They are working hard to get to "the crossover" between supply and demand. They are in "uncharted territory" as far as how much hardware they’re moving.

9:24: Cammie Dunaway takes the stage. "If I’ve learned anything in the past 11 months, it’s that pleasing you guys takes showing you great games," she says while looking directly at me and Matt Cassamassina.

9:25: PUNCH OUT! CAMMIE SHOWS PUNCH-OUT. CAMMIE REDEEMED FOREVER. Available 1st half 2009 in the U.S. Punch out video reel. Oh my god, the music. The music. So awesome. If this is playable today I will be the happiest person.

9:27: Call of Duty: World at War also playable today.

9:28: For those of you who like your fighting games stark, black, white, and red, Sega’s got Mad World. Available March 2009. Great to hear Cammie talking about how to destroy enemies with chainsaws. As Baker suggested, she should have talked about this at E3. Playable today.

9:29: Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop.

9:30: The Conduit, available Q1 2009. They’re going to have guys from High Voltage come up to tell us some more about it. Looks like it’s time for a live demo. Guy’s actually sitting immediately to my left playing it.

9:31: Real time demos of a game = break time for livebloggers. Speaking of first person shooters on Wii, are you guys interested in the "Wii de Asobu" collection? Apparently they’re actually upgrading these GameCube games with Wii controls, and it includes the Metroid Prime games, so if those reports are correct, we’ll have Wiimote-enabled versions of those games… interesting.

**NOTE: In case it wasn’t clear, the above was me asking you guys if you’d heard about this announcement — NOA did not say anything today about "Wii de Asobu."

9:32: The player can get right up on textures in The Conduit and they’ll retain their high definition — no more blurry textures, they say. It really does look good for a Wii game.

9:34: Normal mapping, blooms, blurs, heat distortions, depth of field, and a whole lot of other graphics buzzwords. They’re incorporating advice from fans and press that they’ve gotten at shows like PAX.

9:35: Conduit demo over, Dunaway back on stage. The last time you saw this game — Wii Music — she says, was at E3. "Some of you may have heard that Miyamoto has said that Wii Music shouldn’t be considered a game." Since E3, he’s painted a broader picture of what Wii Music is all about. JC from Nintendo’s Treehouse takes the stage to show us some Wii Music.

9:37: JC is talking about how you can improvise, slow down… in the hands of a skilled player, a song will sound better. Do a reggae version of the Super Mario theme song, or speed metal, or barbershop quartet.

9:38: Wii Music demo. He says there’s Wi-Fi interference interfering with his playing. Shaking the nunchuk to put vibrato into his guitar playing.

9:39: They’ve prepared a demo for us today, another NOA employee gets up on stage, he’s playing the ukelele… Well, okay. Honestly, I’m starting to get it — I still don’t quite know if it’ll take off with musicians or core gamers, but the idea is that you can improvise and make your own version of a song.

9:46: Dunaway is reading some quotes from musicians who tried Wii Music at Austin City Limits. They like it.

9:47: Animal Crossing City Folk will be available November 16 in the U.S. Dunaway says it’s core gamers who made Animal Crossing popular, and they think core gamers will do the same for this version.

9:48: Bringing Animal Crossing to a more expanded audience with their marketing this year, says Dunaway.

9:49: Moving on to Wii Fit. They’ve invited a celebrity trainer, who’s trained people like Christina Aguilera and Jessica Simpson, to show people Wii Fit (again) at this event.

9:50: Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party, also uses balance board, holiday 2008. You can control a game with your butt, says Dunaway, which is "true innovation." "This game will work your core better than Pilates."

9:51: SIN AND PUNISHMENT 2. Hits keep on coming. Confirmed for 2009 in North America. "After we saw how many people downloaded it on Virtual Console, we got the message that North America wants Sin and Punishment as well." "You’re not going to have to import it," she says. Video time!

9:52: Nintendo now turns to the DS. A new series of games that carry on the "redefinition of gaming" that people have seen from games like Nintendogs and Brain Age. "Personal Trainer" series. November 24, Personal Trainer Cooking. There will be Personal Trainer titles for Math and Walking in 2009. The chef from the Marriott will be here using the game to cook dishes for us.

9:53: Rhythm Heaven, first half 2009. YEEEEAAAAAH. "This game is pretty darn hard, and you can’t put it down." "We think this has big potential in North America."

9:54: Dunaway about to show four "hard-edge" games. First is Age of Empires Mythologies, due November 2008. Second is Tecmo Bowl, same release month. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, available October 21. Chrono Trigger, holiday 2008. "Thanksgiving week."

9:58: Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon is the story of Marth, a character that U.S. fans know well for his appearances in the Smash Bros. series. Showing a battle — bottom screen always shows the zoomed-out map, all of the information and close-ups are on the top screen.

10:01: Game includes "prologue chapters" that were never in the original NES game on which this is based.

10:03: This version of Fire Emblem features Wi-Fi battles with full voice chat. Like playing chess in the park, he says, you can give commentary on each other’s moves.

10:05: You can loan and borrow units from your friends. They can take a unit, level it up for you, and give it back to you. Interesting. There’s also an online shop where you can buy rare and powerful items, that rotate in and out of the shop on a daily basis — so you’ll have to check often. Not real money, but gold that you earn in single player. (Phew.)

10:06: Dunaway back on stage. Will she go for the trifecta and pass out free copies of Captain Rainbow? No, she’s announcing Pokemon Ranger for DS on November 10.

10:08: Awesomeness trifecta confirmed: Mario and Luigi 3 in 2009. Another video! Bowser will be joining Mario and Luigi on their adventure this time.

10:09: Concluding with two other announcements.

10:10: When you buy Wii Speak microphone, you’ll be able to download the Wii Speak Channel, and chat with up to three other Wii users at once.

10:11: CLUB NINTENDO IS COMING TO NORTH AMERICA.

10:12: Club Nintendo gets the biggest applause of the day. North American Nintendo fans have been "lusting after" Club Nintendo giveaways for a long time, she says. Yes. Will debut in America by the end of the year. Nice.

10:13: That’s the end of the presentation, Dunaway says. That sure kicked E3’s ass.